Flowers for Algernon was a very intriguing novel about Charlie Gordon, a mentally challenged adult. Throughout the novel, there are numerous references to Carlie’s past with his family. His past intelligence is what primarily causes him to undergo his treatment. However, his past relationship with his family, prominently his mother, alter his abilities to develop emotional connections. His newfound intelligence also complicates his abilities to reconnect with his family and friends from before. Therefore, Charlie’s past had a very powerful influence on Charlie during and after the experiment. During the experiment, Charlie’s intelligence level heavily influenced how he was treated. Before he became an intellectual, Charlie was treated with great disrespect by his acquaintances. Charlie’s coworkers used the phrase “pulling a Charlie Gordon” quite often when insulting another coworker. They used this term to describe a person as unintelligent, or stupid, much like they labeled Charlie. Initially, Charlie did not understand what the term meant, but as he became smarter, he did, and it upset him greatly. Charlie’s change of opinions affected his relationships. Before Charlie went through the experiment, he believed his coworkers, Frank and Joe, were his best friends, as they would take him to parties with them. As Charlie progresses, he realizes they only kept him around to embarrass him, and for a good laugh. (4) Suddenly, during his progression, Charlie’s coworkers take a
The protagonist and author of the progress reports that form the text of Flowers for Algernon. Charlie is a thirty-two-year-old mentally retarded man who lives in New York City. At the start of the novel, he works at Donner’s Bakery as a janitor and delivery boy. Charlie’s friendliness and eagerness to please, along with his childhood feelings of inadequacy, make him the hardest-working student in Alice Kinnian’s literacy class for retarded adults. When Charlie undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence, his IQ skyrockets to the level of a genius. His obsession with untangling his own emotional life and his longing to reach an emotional maturity and inner peace to match his intellectual authority inform many of the novel’s
How does the diary or journal-entry form affect the emphasis of the narrative? How dependable is Charlie as a narrator as he progresses through his various stages? Discuss Charlie’s capability of providing insight to the other characters.
Flowers for Algernon is a story with hope, humor, defeat, sadness, and disappointment. Charlie is your average joe with a mental disability. He writes through a series of journal entries about his journey of coming out of the darkness of ignorance and into the bright light of intelligence. At the beginning of his trek, he was working hard to become smarter on his own but was chosen for a experimental surgery that makes people smarter. He underwent the operation and gradually his intelligence surpassed his teachers. Unfortunately the effects were not permanent and Charlie digressed into the person that he once was, knowing he was going to die like his mouse friend Algernon. He moved to New York and It is assumed that
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman. Charlie Gordon is a very welcoming, playful, and genuine man. He attends Beekman College for Retarded Adults and has a strong motivation to learn and to improve his intelligence. He dreams of being popular, and making friends. Throughout the novel Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon changed in many ways. Prior to his life changing operation, he was not able to grasp that the people at Donner’s Bakery were not his friends, they only spoke to him to make fun of him. Charlie acknowledged their harsh actions, and started retaliating. Charlie is a very open
Flowers for Algernon is about a man named Charlie who is mentally slow and not smart. Charlie had an operation to make him smart. What the doctors did was unethical.
Before the enhancing surgery, Charlie Gordon seemed to have depend and trust others, while those people didn’t have his back. This could be a problem in the future, because people have to learn to be independent so when they lose someone important, they don’t crack under pressure. In the story, Keyes writes, “Sometimes somebody will say hey look at Joe or Frank or George he really pulled a Charlie Gordon. I dont know why they say that but they always laft” (Keyes, 289). Daniel Keyes uses dramatic irony as a way of displaying Charlies perception of his friends. Charlie assumes he has very nice friends, but the audience knows that his
Charlie Gurdon faced many obstacles throughout the story of Flowers for Algernon. Charlie went through a lot of emotions through the story. He also went through a lot of loss between him losing friends and losing his intelligence. Others may feel that Sam had it worse; however, evidence proves differently. Charlie Gurdon had it worse than Sam
He is functional, but moderately mentally disabled. Charlies main goal is to learn so he can be smart like everyone else. When he was suggested by his teacher for an operation that could make him smarter, he got excited because he actually had a chance. Before the surgery Charlie is completely innocent. Being innocent is defined as simple and naive. He has no experience because he has been under circumstances that did not allow him. He is a generally happy person that values companionship. Charlie sees the good in everybody and is nice to all, even when some are not particularly nice to him. Before the surgery Charlie is very ignorant to the jokes and slurs his “friends” express to him. He always enjoys going to work to see his friends because he likes how they joke around and laugh with him.
How would you feel if you were developmentally delayed do you think it would be ok for your parents to sign off for you to have a possibly life threatening surgery? In the science fiction story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes a thirty-seven year old man named Charlie Gordon has to face this challenge. He wanted nothing more than to be smart and fit in. He had the opportunity to have an Artificial Intelligence surgery to triple his I.Q. Charlie Gordon should have had the A.I. surgery because it made him feel he had a purpose in life. After Charlie had the A.I. surgery he saw the bad things his friends did to him he felt he had a purpose and he became smart even if it wasn't permanent.
Do you choose intelligence over happiness? “I don’t know what’s worse, to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.” Writes Charlie Gordon (Keyes 298). In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon is a young man who struggles with mental retardation. His dream is to be intelligent so he can be like the rest of the world. Charlie goes through an experimental surgery that increases his intelligence. But the consequence of his tripled intelligence is that Charlie Gordon is not as happy as he was before surgery. Before his surgery, Charlie was oblivious to his “friends” being mean to him. After, he realized what kind of people they really were. Before surgery, Charlie’s ignorance hid him from the true, harsh reality. After surgery, Charlie’s ignorance disappeared, making him realize how fake and disappointing the world can be. Before Charlie’s surgery, he was happy, but felt oblivious to the world surrounding him. After surgery, he was pleased with his intelligence when it reached its peak. But when Charlie’s intelligence began to deteriorate, he became upset that he couldn’t think the way he could when he was smart. From the reasons stated above, In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon is better off before surgery.
Many books have been banned from school libraries. Have it be the language, racial themes, sex, violence,negativity, witchcraft, unpopular religious views,or even unpopular political views found in the books.What about Flowers for Algernon
In the riveting short story by Daniel Keyes, “Flowers for Algernon”, we discover the significance of time and value. Charlie Gordon, a 32-year-old man with the brain of a 5-year-old, has been chosen to undergo a life-changing experiment. Consequently, the outcome of this experiment is a temporary increase of intelligence that will eventually wear off. Now was this temporary increase of intelligence worth the suffer or not? I strongly believe that the operation was more rewarding than it was damaging because Charlie discovers how to devote time to the right people and comprehend a life time's worth of information and experiences within the duration of only a few months.
The book Flowers for Algernon has a lot of similarities and differences to the movie Charly. For example in the movie Charly it shows charlie spying on Miss. Kinnian. The book does not talk about charlie spying on her. Some similarities are, in the book Flowers for Algernon and the movie Charly talks about Charlie getting bullied by his so called ‘’friends’’ at his job.
The reality was that Charlie’s societal conflicts were in fact true! Evidently, nothing had seemed to work out for him. Even though Frank and Joe acted like his best friends, they were literally insulting him while he did not even know. Frank and Joe would even say “pulled a Charlie Gordon”.
In Daniel Keyes’ compelling novel, Flowers for Algernon, the main character undergoes both important emotional and physical changes. The book has an interesting twist, as it is described in the characters “progress reports”. This book has a science fiction undertone, and takes place in exciting New York City. As the novel begins, the main character, Charlie Jordan is thirty-two years old, but cannot remember anything from his childhood.